Rivers in Kentucky
Cumberland River at Barbourville
Below flood stage
1.68ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 5:30 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 27.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.60 ftThu, Sep 24, 2:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 45.91 ft1977
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 38.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 33.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 27.00 ft |
| Action | 21.50 ft |
- 50.00 ftOvertopping or failure of floodwall is expected. Full evacuation of Barbourville is necessary.
- 45.91 ftFlooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Homes and businesses must be evacuated.
- 40.29 ftClosing of flood gates begins.
- 40.00 ftMajor flood threatens the protected area of Barbourville. US 25 E floods on both sides of the city.
- 39.60 ftKY 11 floods.
- 39.40 ftHomes on Miller Road and Boone Heights begin flooding.
- 38.50 ftHomes begin flooding in Apple Grove, Sharp Gap and Smokey.
- 36.60 ftRoads begin flooding in Heidrick. Homes begin flooding on South Main Street.
- 34.00 ftFlooding threatens homes and businesses in unprotected areas.
- 30.00 ftManchester Street and Miller Road east of US 25 E flood.
- 27.00 ftLow lying roads flood. Manchester street floods.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 11% |
| Moderate flooding | 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
112 crests on NOAA’s list since 1929.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 6, 1977 | 45.91 ft |
| 2 | January 1, 1946 | 42.80 ft |
| 3 | November 29, 1973 | 42.65 ft |
| 4 | January 1, 1970 | 42.30 ft |
| 5 | January 30, 1957 | 42.15 ft |
| 6 | March 14, 1975 | 41.60 ft |
| 7 | March 13, 1963 | 41.43 ft |
| 8 | May 8, 1984 | 40.83 ft |
| 9 | February 2, 1951 | 40.25 ft |
| 10 | February 7, 2020 | 40.01 ft |
| 11 | March 17, 1973 | 39.31 ft |
| 12 | March 1, 1929 | 39.20 ft |
| 13 | March 21, 2002 | 38.72 ft |
| 14 | February 1, 1939 | 38.50 ft |
| 15 | January 12, 1974 | 38.26 ft |
| 16 | March 7, 1967 | 38.22 ft |
| 17 | February 17, 2025 | 38.07 ft |
| 18 | December 11, 1972 | 38.04 ft |
| 19 | February 12, 2018 | 37.51 ft |
| 20 | February 2, 1950 | 37.34 ft |
| 21 | February 12, 1994 | 37.30 ft |
| 22 | March 18, 1963 | 36.75 ft |
| 23 | March 1, 1962 | 36.39 ft |
| 24 | February 17, 2003 | 36.36 ft |
| 25 | April 20, 1998 | 36.30 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 17, 2025: 38.07 ft
- March 29, 2021: 35.45 ft
- March 2, 2021: 30.29 ft
- May 20, 2020: 28.77 ft
- April 14, 2020: 29.88 ft
- February 14, 2020: 27.07 ft
- February 7, 2020: 40.01 ft
- February 25, 2019: 31.46 ft
- February 21, 2019: 30.16 ft
- February 12, 2018: 37.51 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.